# Politicians (current) you admire **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 1999, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334 "1999-09-13T23:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/1 "1999-09-13T23:08:00Z")
I think the “most despised politician” thing has been done to death! So now let’s hear about some politicians you would vote _for_ if you could, no matter WHO was running against them!! ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/2 "1999-09-13T23:19:00Z")
Can you say _world’s shortest topic?_ * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/3 "1999-09-13T23:48:00Z")
Well, I can’t say I’d vote for him against anyone, but I have voted for NY Governor George Pataki both times he’s run. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/4 "1999-09-13T23:48:00Z")
Former Governor Ann Richards of Texas. She was a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/5 "1999-09-13T23:49:00Z")
Good God, Manhattan! Is _that_ the best you can do? I always hear people say that without anyuone to participate in government we’d have a dictatorship–and then we have despicable politicians whether we like it or not! “The most serious ground for reproach against the American citizen is that he is not a politician.”–Elihu Root ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 1999, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/6 "1999-09-13T23:56:00Z")
Just because I vote doesn’t mean I have to like any of the meglomaniacs and busybodies I vote for. 😉 * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 1999, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/7 "1999-09-14T00:02:00Z")
That sounds like something Churchill said of Aneurin (a-NYE-rin) Bevan, a Member of Parliament, of the Labour Party, a political foe of his, from Ebbw (EBB-oo) Vale in Wales during Churchill’s tenure as Prime Minister. They were discussing recognition of Red China. Chrcuhill said, “Just because we recognize someone does not mean we like him. We all, for example, recognize the Right Honorable Member from Ebbw Vale.” ---
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 1999, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/8 "1999-09-14T00:04:00Z")
fdjklsjkf;slkh;slksjlkhslkfjhldskhlkjsldfkjhldskjlfhkjhfk oh, sorry, I laughed so hard, I fell on the keyboard! * * * \*kisses, Kelli \* ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 1999, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/9 "1999-09-14T00:08:00Z")
How many syllables is that? * * * “If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 1999, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/10 "1999-09-15T23:09:00Z")
Tolja 😉 * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 1999, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/11 "1999-09-15T23:45:00Z")
Thanks, _kelli._🙂 🙂 🙂 * * * “If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/12 "1999-09-23T20:18:00Z")
This one is easy for me, so I don’t particularly dislike politicians. At least they usually know who their elected representatives are. Helen Sussman (spelling?) of South Africa. Leader of the Progressive Federal Party for a long time, and was the only member of anything other than the National Party elected to many parliaments in the 1960s and 1970s. Preached a peaceful end to apartheid long before it was broadly accepted to do so. Wooops. Just read the topic again. Sussman doesn’t fit the definition of “current” very well, does she? (Good thing I didn’t launch into my Charles Sumner post.) Bruce Babbit of Arizona. Sure, everybody hates him because he’s risen out of state and into national politics. Ran a quixotic campaign for President supporting higher taxes. All around, I think he’s a great guy. John Kitzhaber. My beloved governor. He’s a crusader for health care and eduation. He’s gotten real results. I don’t have much more to say. Ehud Barak. When they look back in a few decades, and they won’t have to wonder who saved the Middle East from war. Harvey Gant. Ran against Jesse Helms. Never stooped to race-baiting or mud-slinging. North Carolina demonstrated that they didn’t deserve him by rejecting him. Stephen Solarz. A man who did his homework. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/13 "1999-09-23T20:28:00Z")
My current fave is Senator John McCain. He blew a very large hole in Pat Robertson a couple of days ago. Gotta love him, just for that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kknick34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kknick34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kknick34)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/14 "1999-09-23T20:47:00Z")
Tony Blair John McCain Richie Daly - Mayor of Chicago ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/15 "1999-09-23T22:30:00Z")
Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). He’s from my district. He represents my positions on most topics better than just about anyone I can think of. Plus, when he was mayor of Cleveland, he stood up to the corporate bigwigs and refused to sell Cleveland Public Power to private interests. CPP still provides cheaper, more efficient power to Cleveland residents than CEI to this very day. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/16 "1999-09-23T22:45:00Z")
Current: Barak & Arafat. They’ve got a lot to prove still, but things are looking WAY better than with that creepy right-wing conservative asshole Nehtaniahu (sp, sp, sp ??). Mubarak, PM of Egypt, and King Abdallah (and of course his father, the late King Hussain) of Jordan, two MAJOR stable factors in the middle east. Wim Kok (don’t laugh, that’s his name really, just feel lucky his first name isn’t Dick or somehting 😉 ), PM of The Netherlands. A socialist, which I’m not, but BOY is this man good. Madeleine Albright. All that’s good about America. What can I say. Bright, responsible and ALWAYS THERE. Past politicians: Helmuth Kohl, former German PM. Almost singlehandedly brought Europe together on a personal raid (his brother was killed in the WWII, urging him to do everything he could to prevent ANY war breaking out in Europe ever again). He succeeded, at least in Western Europe. A monumental politician. Jimmy Carter. Can you say Camp David ? 'Nuff Said. Michail Gorbatchov. For ending the Cold War. I’m sorry, my US friends, it was Gorby, not Ronny who did this. I saw him on the news tonight, kissing his wife goodbye, open coffin and all… heartbraking. One of the most important men of this century. And of course Ross Perot for making US Presidential Elections so much fun, at least for us here in Holland 😉 Coldfire * * * “You know how complex women are” - Neil Peart, Rush (1993) ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/17 "1999-09-23T23:36:00Z")
I never vote FOR any politician. I always vote against. * * * If you’re an optimist, you haven’t been paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Pickman\_s\_Model](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Pickman\_s\_Model](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pickman_s_Model)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 1999, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/18 "1999-09-24T02:03:00Z")
Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S Truman Winston Churchill ??? Oh, you mean _living_ politicians! Okay, well there’s… Or maybe… We could say… I’ll have to get back to you. This will take some serious digging. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 1999, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/19 "1999-09-24T07:01:00Z")
Wally: That’s a neat trick. Is this a special feature of the ballot? I hear some state have a “none of the above” box you can check. Or is it just a conceptual thing? ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 1999, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334/20 "1999-09-25T01:43:00Z")
Boris, we don’t have a “none of the above” option here, so I always pencil it in. Some of my friends think it’s silly, a waste of a ballot, but I don’t see it that way. I am merely exercising my right to express my opinion of the turkeys on the ballot. I’ll keep doing it until I see a politician worthy of my vote. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/politicians-current-you-admire/8334.md?page=2)